SpaceX Mars Development Overview
Abstract
SpaceX was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of making life multi-planetary through enabling the establishment of human civilization on Mars. Fundamental to achieving this goal is to vastly decrease cost and improve the reliability of access to and transport through space. The commercial development of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles and our successes in introducing launch vehicle and spacecraft reusability offer increased launch capability at reduced cost. With the largest payload capability of any operational launcher since the Saturn V, the Falcon Heavy provides significant trans-Mars injection mass delivery at a very affordable price point which can be quite valuable in the context of near-term robotic and human-precursor Mars missions.We have also initiated development of the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) launch and in-space transportation system, which will become available in the 2020's and provide Mars transportation capabilities well in excess of those currently available or being developed elsewhere, while continuing to decrease transportation costs by being fully and rapidly reusable. With a fully reusable launch system, Earth orbit propellant transfer, and a fully-propulsive Mars landing, BFR is capable of delivering over 100 metric tons of useful mass to the surface of Mars in an affordable fashion. In the context of human missions, through use of in-situ propellant production the system is capable of returning over 50 tons of useful mass from Mars to Earth. The system also offers additional capabilities for a wide variety of mission types, including in Earth orbit and to the surface of the Moon, which can be leveraged to help build operational experience and spread costs in parallel with Mars missions.More information regarding the overall BFR system architecture and mission plans is available at http://spacex.com/mars.
- Publication:
-
42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018cosp...42E3688W